Supreme Court on Friday allowed women of all ages can enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. By this ruling, the court had ended an age-old ban on the entry of women between 10 and 50 years.
“The practice of age restriction on women entry to Sabrimala temple can’t be treated as an essential religious practice,” the five judge constitution bench said in a majority four-one judgement.
The only judge who dissented on the five-judge constitution bench was Justice Indu Malhotra, who says that issues raised have serious implications for all religions. She said issues which have deep religious connotation should not be tinkered with to maintain secular atmosphere in the country.
She says the right to equality claimed by some conflicts with the right to follow a religious practice, again a fundamental right, and rejects plea for entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala.
